Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-09
DAILY HERALD.
DAILY HERALD.
GORMLEE CAPTURED
BY Messrs. Martin Agulrre
and Henry Johnson.
A LONG AND WEARY CHASE.
Enticed from Mexico on to Amer
lean Soil and then Ar
rested.
GORMLEE CAPTURED
A LONG AND WEARY CHASE.

there arrived on the train from San
Diego three dilapidated looking char
acters, but the taller one in the center
as they marched to the county Jail
was Tom Gormlee, the man who has
been wanted for the past two months
for the atrocious rape committed on
little Maggie Switzer at a mining
camp few miles back OF Lamanda
Park. It will be remembered that
about the middle of July last the story
was told of the crime, and had Gorm-
lee been captured then, there is no
doubt but he would have been
lynched. At that time it was stated
that Mrs. Mueller, who is the land
lady of the mother of Maggie, had
gone to her husbands camp for the
summer. Prior to this Mr.. Mueller
had taken Gormlee, whom he met in
destitute circumstances, into partner
ship with him, and after Mrs. Mueller
had been at the camp some time
Gormlee had come to this city
on business of a private nature.
Maggie. who was not healthy child,
was in more delicate health than usu-
al, and as Gormlee called on her
mother, it occurred to her that per-
haps she had better send Maggie up
to the camp with Gormlee. This was
suggested to Gormlee, and he consent
ed to take charge of Maggie and de-
liver her to Mrs. Mueller. That night
Gormlee
TOOK THE LITTLE GIRL
On the train, and alighting at Laman-
da Park station started for the camp.
Mrs. Mueller did not see Maggie until
the next morning after breakfast and
then her attention was called to Mag
gie's condition by one of her own chill
dren with whom Maggie had been
playing. Surmising that something
was the matter, Mrs. Mueller ques-
toned Maggie, who said that on the
way from Lamanda Park to the camp
Gormlee had thrown her down and
brutally outraged her. Mrs. Mueller
then went out to where Gormlee
was working and accused him
of the crime. Gormlee made no
reply, and then Mrs. Mueller started
to tell her husband, but by the time
they had returned to where Gormlee
had been working, he was half mile
away. A foot-chase was made for
him but he disappeared, and Mrs.
Mueller brought Maggie home to her
mother, and the story leaked out.
Every effort was made at that time to
capture Gormlee. Officer Bosqui and
Deputy Constable Johnson went to
the camp that night and interviewed
the woman with whom Gormlee had
been living, and whom was arrested
shortly afterward and charged with
completely in the rape. She was
acquitted, since it was proven that
GOrmlee had not harmed the child
after reaching the hut.
GoRMLEE DISAPPEARS.
Time passed on and no one cap
tured Gormlee, although nearly every
one had an idea or an imaginary clue
as to where he was. The matter had
nearly been forgotten by everybody
save Maggie and her mother. Consta-
BILE Aguirre and his valuable deputy
Henry johnson. These two officers
kept the matter in mind and deter
mined to bring Gormlee here when
ever they could find him. Chance
aided johnson and furnished him
with clue which he determined to
follow with the permission of Consta-
BILE Aguirre, to the end. This was
several weeks ago, and Aguirre en-
tered heartily into the plan which was
that johnson should go to the ground
and if Gormlee was there send word
to him. This was carried out and
johnson started for Ensenada
Mexico, the place to which his clue
pointed. Arriving there he knew
that it would be useless to dress in his
usual tasteful attire and therefore
donned a suit of working clothes, in
which he hoped to be able to find the
object of his search. A quiet and un'
ostentatious search revealed the fact
that Gormlee was engaged in working
on the construction of bridge. In
order to be certain that he was the
right man and to make his acquaint-
ance johnson engaged himself as the
DRIVER OF TEAM
OF mules, and in this capacity played
cards, ETC., with Gormlee and OBJ
served on his wrists the bracelet and
the woman. Having decided thai
Gormlee was the man johnson came
back to Los Angeles on the 9th Of
August and reported to Constable
Aguirre, who agreed that the best
plan to adopt was to 60 to Sacramento
and obtain the proper papers. The
detectives then went to Sacramento,
but owing to the sickness of Governor
Bartlett they were unable to obtair
the proper papers. They came
to the conclusion that some
other plan must be adopted and il
was in this that they displayed
an extraordinary amount of ability
which would reflect credit upon ever
the best detective force. They decid
ed that in order to bring Gormlee here
in a legal manner they must entice
him across the line, and to do this
without exciting suspicion would be {
difficult matter. Constable Aguirrt
determined that he would 60 to the
place himself, and on the LIST OF the
present month both he and johnson
left for San Diego, where, through the
kindness of Constable Russell, Joe
Gotta, his deputy, joined them in thei
expedition. The ground where CORN
lee was located being reached, it was
found that Gormlee had changed hi'
occupation from that of bridge build
ing to
PIPE LAYING.
Martin Immediately took position
as mule driver, and Johnson worked
as a pipe layer. Gormlee, who had
no suspicion as to their real character
became quite friendly, and finally, as
if by accident, they broached to him
the fact that there was good chance
to make money by accepting posi-,
ton some distance from Ensenada;
Gormlee fell in with the plans, and